Choice Of Words delivers at odds-on© Photo Healy Racing
Choice Of Words ground out victory for JJ Slevin in the Hurley Family Mares Beginners Chase at Kilbeggan.
The 4/11 favourite was pushed along to take over after the penultimate fence of this 2m3f contest. Will You Win refused to accept defeat in second, though, and hugged the inner rail on the approach to the final fence. Choice Of Words was half a length up in jumping it with Jungle Prose trying to get involved in third. The latter didn't jump it well and pecked upon landing as Choice Of Words was ridden to go and win her race.
She got to the rail and Will You Win had to switch around her. The leader then toughed it out in deteriorating conditions by a length and a half. Jungle Prose kept on close home for second at 5/1.
“She had a good run here last time. I thought she was a little bit sticky at a few of her jumps today. Being a mare, she maybe has her on and off days,” said trainer Martin Brassil.
“She actually looked more exuberant about her jumping the last day when she was second here. She took him to the front and went on then and just got beat.
“It was a bit tougher today. I thought that the slower ground would be a help to her, but maybe the pace was slow enough on that ground and then she just had to work a little bit.
“She might be better going a bit further.”
This brought up an across-the-card treble for JJ Slevin who won on Cossack Chach in Killarney before making the trip up to partner Jinxs Link in race two at Kilbeggan.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
